Coffee-separator



(No Model.)

J. R. MERRIHBW COFFEE SEPARATOR.

Patented May 8, 1883.

. KMEE j vwarx 7 rLl LlrruLl Lihllr L UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH R. MERRIHEVV, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

COFFEE-SEPARATORQ SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 277,317, dated May 8, 1883.

Application filed November 29. 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH It. MERRI'HEW, of Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Im provements in Coffee-Separators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of coffeeseparators in which an inclined belt or endless apron is employed, which is so driven by supportingpulleys that its upper inclined surface will move upwardly, so that when coffee-berries are dropped upon the belt the round berries will roll by gravitation to the lower end of the'belt, while the partially-fiat berries will lodge on the belt and be. carried upwardly thereby and discharged from the upper end, the two kinds of berries being thus separated.

My invention has for its object to provide certain improvements in a machine of this class, whereby the berries may be evenly fed from the hopper to the inclined belt.

To this end my invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forminga part ofthis specification, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a coffee-separator embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a top view of the same. Fig. 3 represents an enlarged transverse section of the lower portion of the hopper and its feeding devices, and Fig. 4 represents a perspective view of one of the devices for preventing the partially-flat berries from rolling downwardly.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures. I

In the drawings, A represents an inclined supportin g-frame, in the opposite ends of which are journaled two horizontal rolls, B B, one being considerably higher than the other.

0 represents a belt or endless apron, of canvas or other suitable material, supported in an inclined position by the rolls B B, and driven so that its upper surface will move upwardly by power applied to the roll B.

0 represents a hopper supported over the belt 0 by the frame A. In the lower portion of the hopper is journaled a feed-roll, D, which is belted to a pulley on the driving-roll B, and is rotated thereby in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3. Over the feed-roll D is located a horizontal toothed plate or comb, E.

having teeth 6, separated by slots or spaces of sufficient width to permit cofl'ee-berriesto pass easily between said teeth. The comb E is attached to a horizontal slide or bar, I, that is adapted to be moved transversely of the machine, and is moved first in one direction and then in the opposite direction by two cams, G G, projecting from opposite sides of a disk, G attached to the arbor of the roll D, said cams acting alternately on lu gs or fingers H H, projecting from the bar I. The reciprocating movements of the comb E create a constant agitation of the coffee-berries in the hopper, and cause them to descend evenly and with the desired rapidity upon the roll D, and prevent them from becoming clogged over the roll and failing'to be ejected thereby from the hopper, as they might do without the reciprocating comb, the feed-roll D being smooth-surfaced. It will be seen that the smooth-surfaced feed-roll insures the even passage of the berries from the hopper, so that they fall continuously upon the belt, and not intermittingly, as would be the case if the feed-roll had cells or pockets in its periphery. The reciprocating comb and rotary .roll constitute an efficient and noiseless feeding device, which is operated at much less expense of power and with much less wear and jar than a hopper which is shaken or reciprocated to deliver the berries. When the berries drop upon the belt or apron, the round ones immediately roll downwardly and accumulate in a box, K, at the lower end of the belt, and the greater part of the partially-fiat ones lodge on the belt, and are carried upwardly thereby until they drop over the upper roll, B, into a box, L. It is found, however, that some of the partially-flat berries will common ce toroll downwardly when they firststrike the belt or apron, and unless their momentum is checked they will find their way into the receptacle K with the round berries. To check the downward movement of such berries, I provide one or more series of combs, M,arranged crosswise of the belt 0, as shown in Fig. 2. Each series is composed of several sections, and each section is composed of atoothed plate pivoted upon a supporting-rod, N, so that the outer endsof the teeth will bear with a yielding pressure on the belt 0, said pressure to roll easily through.

being due to the weight of the sections. The teeth t of each section are separated by spaces of sufficient width to permit the round berries Each section is provided with two tubes, 12, on its upper surface for the reception of the rod N.

I do not claim the comb-sections, however, as I am aware that similar devices have been before used for the same purpose.

I claim In a cofiee-separator, the combination of the inclined belt or apron, the hopper over the same, the smooth-surfaced, positively-rotated roll D, located in the lower portion of the hopper, the comb or slotted plate located over the roll D, and a connection between said comb and the arbor of theroll D, whereby the comb is caused to feed the coffee-berries regularly, uniformly, and .noiselessly upon the roller and apron, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specificatiomin the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 24th day of November,

JOSEPH R. MERRIHEW. Witnesses:

1*. W. HoLBRooK, JOHN W. BROOKS. 

